Glossary of Parapsychology Terms
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Glossary of Parapsychology Terms
Automatic Writing – This method of obtaining information from disembodied spirits is used by mediums in which the spirit takes control over the medium causing them to translate unconscious information on paper without being aware of the contents.
Call – A call is the response that is made by a subject during a card-guessing test or during any other type of ESP test.
Card Guessing – Card guessing is used as an experimental test for ESP in which a subject tries to guess the identity of a set of cards.
Channeling – In this modern day method of spirit communication, a spirit will pass information directly to a medium or channeler who will then relay the information on to the listener(s).
Clairaudience – An auditory form of ESP paranormal information is received outside the range of normal perception through voices, whispers and auditory impressions.
Clairsentience – A general term for clairvoyance and clairaudience. Clairsentience typically occurs in the form of ESP through physical sensations or smells.
Clairvoyance – An acute insight or perceptiveness that enables you to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses in the form of mental imagery and intuition. (See ESP)
Closed Deck – A set of cards used in a card guessing deck in which each card will appear a fixed number of times. The statistical analysis obtained from a closed card deck differs from that of an open card deck. (See Card Guessing).
Cold Reading – This is a technique commonly used by fake mind readers, mediums and magicians which allows them to obtain previously unknown information about a person by asking a general series of statements, questions and answers.
Control – This is a procedure in paranormal psychology that ensures that the experiment is conducted in a standard fashion so that the results will no be influenced by any extraneous factors.
Control Group – A group of outside subjects whose performance or abilities are compared with the experimental subjects.
Dice Test – An experimental test in which a subject attempts to influence the fall of dice. This study is used for the investigation of psychokinesis.
Extra Sensory Perception (ESP) – Communication or perception by means other than the physical senses.
Goat – An experiment in which the subject does not believe in the ability for which they are being tested.
Hot Reading – A devious or fraudulent reading in which the reader has been given prior knowledge of the sitter.
Hypnopompic State- the transitional state between wakefulness and sleep (i.e. coming out of sleep)
Hypnogogic State- the transitional state between wakefulness and sleep (i.e. the onset of sleep)
Hypnosis – A technique that induces a sleep like state in which the subject acts only on external suggestion.
Mesmerism – A hypnotic induction of a sleep or trance State (See Hypnotism).
Precognition – The ability to predict or have knowledge of something in advance of its occurrence, especially by extrasensory perception (See Clairvoyance).
Psi – A letter in the Greek alphabet that denotes psychic phenomena.
Psychic – A person who is responsive to psychic forces with above average ESP abilities.
Psychokinesis (PK) – The power of the mind to affect matter without physical contact, especially in inanimate and remote objects by the exercise of psychic powers.
Psychometry – The ability or art of divining information about people or events associated with an object solely by touching or being near to it.
Pyrokinesis – The ability to unconsciously control and sometimes in rare cases produce fire with their mind only.
Remote Viewing – Used by some psychics, this is a procedure in which the percipient or psychic attempts to become physically aware of the experience of an agent who is at a distant, unknown location through ESP.
Retrocognition – An experience in which a person finds themselves in the past and is able to see and experience events in which they had no prior knowledge.
Séance - A meeting or gathering of people, usually lead by a medium to receive spiritualistic messages, manifestations or communication with the dead.
Sheep – An experiment in which the subject believes in the ability in which they are being tested.
Simulcra – This is a word used to describe the seeing of faces, figures and images in ordinary, everyday object such as rocks, foliage, etc.
Tarot Cards – A set of (usually 72) cards that include 22 cards representing virtues and vices, death and fortune etc. used by fortunetellers to help predict future events.
Telekinesis – The paranormal movement of objects by scientifically inexplicable means.
Telepathy – Communication from one mind to another through means other than the senses.
Teleportation – A method of transportation in which matter or information is dematerialized, usually instantaneously, at one point and recreated at another.
Thought Form – An apparition produced solely by the power of the human mind.
Trance – A hypnotic, cataleptic, or ecstatic state in which one becomes detached from their physical surroundings.
Zener Cards – A set of 25 cards for use in card-guessing tests of ESP. Each set contains 5 of each of the following cards: Circle, Square, Greek Cross, Three Wavy Lines, Five-pointed Star
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